Method of making shoes



Oct. 27, 1925. 1,558,520

E. w. YVARNEY METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed Dec. 19, 1921 Patented (lot.27, 1925.

UNIT ED 5 TAT E S PATENT OFFICE.

EVERETTW. VABNEFY, OF NEWTDN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED. SHOEMA- GHINERY CORPORATION, OF EATERSON, NEWJERSEK, A CORPORATION' OF NEWJERSEY.

mention on MAKING sirens,

To (tundra in it in (113 concern Be it known that I, Evnnrnr TV. VARNEY,a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of lilassachusetts, have invented certainImprovements in Methods of Making Shoes, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and particularly tomethods of making shoes, for example welt shoes.

In lasting the sides of shoes in which the upper is to be finallysecured to a lip or rib on the innersole, such as welt shoes, itis ausual p notice to tension successive portions of the upper along thesides of the shoe and to secure each portion in lasted position by astout, temporary lasting tack which is only partially driven tofacilitate its subsequent removal. This side lasting operation usuallyfollows that of pulling over and precedes the end lasting operation:-After the ends of the shoe have been lasted they are put through aseparate operation of upper stapling. This operation consists ofinserting small wire staples through the upper and lip or rib of theinnersole in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the lastbottom. The run of work in the factory is preferably so arranged thatthe shoes, after having reached the state of manufacture aboveindicated, may remain on the racks for 'a considerable length of time,for example over night, to allow the uppers to become completely set tothe contour of the last. After the uppershavc set the temporary lastingtacks are withdrawn and the staples, which remain permanently in theshoe, serve to retain the set upper in lasted position during subsequentoperations such as upper trimming, if. this has not previously beendone, and inseam sewing or welting.

Cibjects of this invention are to effect improved lasting of the upperand. to reduce the number of times the shoes have to be Serial No.523,469.

a separate operation.

The method consists in lasting the upper and, while the upper is held inlasted c'ondi tion, securing the upper both by temporary fasteningswhich are to be Withdrawn and by other fastenings which may be permanentand remain in the shoe. As herein illustrated by way ofexainple,successive portions of the upper are worked into lasted position andeach of these portions secured by a lasting tack and concurrently by astaple inserted through the upper and innersole rib. As herein set forthsuccessive portions of the upper are tensioned and two temporary lastingtacks are driven through the lasted portion, the tacks being preferablyspaced apart a distance substantially equal to the extent of the portiontensioned, and a staple is inserted. between the tacks. wiped into theangle between the feather of the innersole and the rib or shoulder ofthe innersole and the tack or tacks are driven through theupper in saidangle through the innersol'e and into the last While the staple isdriven parallel to the last bottom through the upper and lip or rib ofthe inner-sole. Thus each portion of the upper is not only tensioned andtemporarily secured from drawing back, but also each portion is workedinto finally lasted position and permanently secured in that positionconcurrently with the temporary fastening operation.

Also, as herein shown, a staple and a tack may be inserted in alinementtransversely of the shoe edge, for example, by first insertingaa stapleand then inserting a tack outside ofuthe staple or behind the staple,considering the operators viewpoint, Thus each portion of the upper isWorked into finally lasted position and secured by a permanentfastening, and, concurrently, and while the upper is still held inlasted position, a tack is inserted closely adjacent to and behind thestaple, so that the fastenings are in alineiuent with the direction ofstrain upon the upper, the tack serving term Preferably the lastedportion is porarily to prevent reaction of the tensioned portion of theupper and to hold it in lasted position until it has set.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe lasted in accordance with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of operating instrumentalities by the useof which the invention may be practiced;

Figs. 3 and i are sectional details showing instrumentalities which maybe used when the fastenings are inserted in transverse alinement; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a staple and tack intransverse alinement holding a portion of the upper in lasted position.

In carrying out the method of the present invention an innersole 2 andupper 4: are assembled on a last 6 and pulled over in the usual manner,the tacks driven by the pulling-over machine being indicated at 8.Suecessive portions of the upper along the sides of the shoe aresubjected to upward and inward tension and are wiped into the anglebetween the feather 10 and lip or rib 12 of the innersole 2. Then eachlasted portion, while still held in wiped-in position, is secured bothby a temporary tack or tacks 1% driven through the upper and innersoleinto the last in the angle between the feather 10 and the rib 12 andconcurrently by a permanent fastening such as a staple 16 driven throughthe upper and rib 12 in a direction substantially parallel to the lastbottom. After one or both sides of the upper have been thus lasted atack or tacks 18 may be driven completely in at the breast end of theheel-seat at each side of the shoe.

The operations of end lasting and, if desired, upper trimming, may nowbe performed as usual, and after the shoes have remained on the racks asufficient time to allow the uppers to set in lasted condition thetemporary tacks l-l are withdrawn and the inseam sewing or weltingoperation may immediately follow.

It will be apparent that by this method the separate handling of theshoes incident to the use of an upper stapling machine or its equivalentis entirely dispensed with and that upper stapling as a separateoperation is eliminated with a. consequent very material saving in thetime required for the manufacture of shoes.

For the purpose of illustrating one practical way of practicing thepresent invention, the drawings show a machine of the hand method typehaving in general the organization disclosed in United States LettersPatent l o. 1,530,329, granted March 17, 1925, on application of Brockand Seely. As disclosed in said application the machine is organized todrive at each operation either two tacks completely or a staple, thechange from tacks to staples being made by shifting a hand lever. Forthe purpose of practising the method of the present invention, however,the machine is organized so that the drivers will partially insert atack or tacks concurrently with the insertion of a staple, the supply oftacks being, of course, arranged to continue while staples are beingdriven. For this purpose the driver stop is reduced in height so thatinstead of suspending the driving of tacks completely the tacks will bepartially driven through the upper, innersole and into the last.Consequently the machine will operate in each cycle to insert two tackspartially into the work to hold the lasted upper under tension and,while the lasted portion is held wiped into the angle between thefeather and rib of the innersole, will insert a staple through the upperand rib of the innersole and clench it to hold the upper permanently infinally lasted position, the staple being preferably located centrallybetween the two tacks. hen the hand lever is operated to discontinue thedriving of staples the driver stops will be withdrawn so that tacks maybe completely driven, as is desirable when lasting the portion of theupper and counter adjacent to the breast line of the heel-seat, asindicated at 18 in Fig. 2.

[n Fig. 2 a rest against which the work is upheld by the operator isdesignated by the nume 'al 22, the lateral position of the work beingdetermined by an edge gage 24. A gripper 26 is operated in theusualinanner in machines of this type to updraw and overdraw the upper,the gripper being given a plaiting motion when required to take care ofthe stock at the sharply curved portion of the periphery of the shoebetween the shank and the ball. A combined tack block and staple nozzzleis provided in a wiper 28 which is reciprocated in time relation to theoperation of the gripper 26 to wipe the tensioned upper into the anglebetween the feather 10 and rib 12 of the innersole 2. The wiperpreferably is provided with two tack pockets 29, 30 to which tacks arefed in any suitable manner when the wiper is in its retracted position,for example, in the manner disclosed in the prior application abovereferred to. After the gripper 26 has tensioned a portion of the upper4;, the wiper 28 advances to wipe in and hold the tensione-d portion inlasted position and drivers 32 are caused to descend to drive the tacksin the tack pockets of the wiper partially into the shoe and last. Vhilethe wiper, as indicated in Fig. 2, is still holding the upper in lastedposition in the angle between the rib and feather a staple is driventhrough an opening 34- in the wiper in a direction substantiallyparallel with. the bottom of the 1 ,ssaaaeo last and is -'cl11c'hetl=fagainst an anvil 36 wh-icli moves in time relat-ion to; the wiper toback up' therib on its inner face while the staple- -s being insertedlVhi -themethod as illustratedherein, in which two tacks-are insertedfor each staple, will be SQtiSfZlGtOIY for lasting certain; kinds oftwork, it -is apparent thatin other kinds ofwork{where more resistantuppers are to be h'andlech it array be desirable, and is understood tobe withinthe present inventi'o1r,=- to insert a staple for each tack illserted; for example; the teedingot tacks: to one oi the tack poclrets orthe operation of one of the driversmay be discontinued by expedientswellknow-min the art, with the result thatsingle tack andfia staple willheinserted in=each-lastedportion of the upper; 4

Furthermore,- asdisclosed in Figs. 3, 4c 2111(15, the tacking andstapling mechanisms may he arranged inalinement with respect to the(Tlirec'tioir ot strain of the upper and to the"directionpotreciprocation of the wiper- 28', that is, in transverse alinement withrespect=to the cage ot' the shoe. The tack bloc 2r is provided with asingletack pocket arranged over thechannel. 42 through which t estaple16isdriven by a driver 45. The staple channel 42 is wider than the tackhead andthe-legsot the staple are guided in grooves ifiin-the walls ofthe channel at each side of-fthdpassage tor-the tack. Pretcra-blyastapleis-di ivenprior to the tack,

and concurrently; that is, immediately afterward-in the same cycle 'andwhile the upper is held in'thiallfy lastett'positioin' a taol isdrivenas shown .iirFig. 5. The tensioned portionot' theupper is thuspermanently secured in finally lasted position 'by the staple andgthe"lasting strain in line with the staple" istemporarily-held by thetack-until he :upper has set: hen the-upper hasset, the tack mayberemoved andthe succeeding shoei'nakingw operations performed in thensimlmannen ltyi's apparent thatby-the method "of the present inventionthe-plurality or concur rcntlyinsertedyfastenings are inserted inconvergent or intersecting directions, and

that whenrtwo kinds-of suclrE-staplcs and tacks are thus inserted,- onekind. the staple, will secure thev upper permanentl to the innersole,and the other kind; the tacks, will secure the. upper temporarily to thelast. Since the upperis thus secured to the lasttliereaction101Ethejytensioned-upper is sustained' by the; lastwithoutdanger of disturbing; the lip as might happen it the upper were securedto the .innersoleonl'ya l laving thus described -m v invention whatIfclaim as new and "desire to secure by" Let.- ters-Patent oftheUnitethStates is:

1. improvement in: methods of. mak ing shoes'wh'rch consists-in Workingsuccessive portions of an uppers over a last. and: fastening eachportion of the upper concurrent- 1y by metallic tastening's of differentkinds 2". That improvementin methods-got mahing shoeswv-hich consists inworking: succes sive: portions of anupper "over a last and securing"each portion of the upperas it .is overworked by separate metallicsecuring means of difi' erent kinds to" the last and to the innersolerespectively:

3. That improvement in methods :otnralr- ZingShOGS-NVlllGh consists inworkingisuccesisive portions ot an upper over a last and securing eachportion of the upper while: it is held worked into lasted position by atening' driven through the upper, innersole and "into the last and:substantially simultaneously with said fastening by a fastening driventhrough the upper and innersolei r-ilo saidfl f'astenings being arrangedin alterna+ tion along the periphery of the-shoe:

That improvement in: methods of: maleing); shoes which consists inworking successive portions of an upper into lasted posi'- tion andconcurrently inserting: a plurality of fastening-s through each' lastedportion in convergent directions.

5. That improvement in: methods O'If' making shoes which consists inworkingsuccessi've portions of an up er"into lasted posh tion andconcurrently inserting through each portion a plurality of fasteni-ngsin different directions.

6. That improvement in methods of analing shoes-which consists inworking succes sive portions of an upper into lasted position and whileeachportion is held in worl ed over posit-ion inserting); throu ,qh eachportion fastenings ot 'diiferent kinds in intersecting directions.

7 Thatimprovement inmethods of malt ing shoes which consists in workingsuccessive portionsof anupper into ltlStGCliIJOSltlOll andconcurrently"fastening"each portion to the last. by" onekind offastening inserted through the upper and sole and to the'inncr sole by;another kind of fastening inserted through tlie-u i per and the rib ofthe innersole. i i

8. Thatimprovement in methods of making shoes which consists in workingsuccessive portions 01- an upper into lasted position andinserting;tastenings to secure each portion temporarily to the last andpermanently to the innersole,

9;That improvement in methods of making shoes wl-iichconsists in workingsuccessivemortions of an upperinto lasted position and "insertingconcurrently fastenings to secure 1 each portion temporarily to thelash-by onekind offastening and permanently-tofltheinnersole by anotherkind-of fastening;

10. That improvement in'methods of making shoes which consists inWorkingan upperinto lasted position over a last and insertingconcurrently through the same lasted portion of the upper both temporarysecuring means and other securing means which, after the upper has setand the temporary securing means are withdrawn, will serve to hold theupper in lasted position during subsequent operations.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a shoe upper, inserting through eachtensioned portion a temporary tack and concurrently inserting throughthe upper and innersole rib a permanent fastening.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists inworking an upper into lasted position over a last and insertingconcurrently through the same lasted portion of the upper both temporarysecuring means and permanent securing means which, after the upper hasset and the temporary securing means are withdrawn, will serve to holdthe upper in finally lasted position during subsequent operations.

13. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions ofashoe upper, inserting through eachtensioned portion a temporary tack and, concurrently while the portionof upper is held in finally lasted position, inserting through the upperand inner-sole rib a permanent staple.

let. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a. welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping the upper into the angle between thefeather and rib of the inner sole, and inserting through the wipedportion while it is held in wiped position both a tack and a staple.

15. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping the upper into the angle between thefeather and rib of the innersole, and inserting through the wipedportion, while it is held in wiped position, a lasting tack and astaple.

16. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists ingripping locally successive portions of a shoe upper, tensioning eachportion upwardly and over the bottom of the last, holding the portion inlasted position upon the shoe bottom, while the portion is so heldsecuring it by a temporary fastening sufficient to hold the portion inlasted position when released and while the portion is still heldinserting another fastening sufficient to hold the portion in lastedposition after it has set in lasted condition and the temporaryfastenings have been. withdrawn, allowing the upper to set,

mes -s20 removing the temporary fastenings, and completing the shoe inthe usual manner.

17. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping the upper into the angle between thefeather and rib of the innersole, and inserting through the wipedportion while it is held in wiped position two fastenings in alinementwith the direction in which the upper is wiped, one of said fasteningsholding the upper to the last in strained condition and the other ofsaid fastenings having a holding power sufiicient to retain the upper inlasted position after it has set and the first fastening has beenremoved.

18. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping each portion of the upper into the anglebetween the feather and rib of the innersole, inserting through thewiped portion a tack, and while it is held in wiped position inserting astaple adjacent to the last ing tack.

19. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping the upper into the angle between thefeather and rib of the innersole, inserting through the wiped portionwhile it is held in wiped position a temporary lasting tack, andinserting adjacent to the tack a further securing element having aholding power suflicient to retain the upper in lasted position after ithas set and the tack has been removed.

20. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe, wiping each portion of the upper into the anglebetween the feather and rib of the innersole, and inserting through eachwiped portion while it is held in wiped position both a tack and astaple in alinement with each other transversely of the shoe edge.

21. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists intensioning successive portions of a welt shoe upper progressively alongthe periphery of a shoe,

wiping each portion of the upper into the angle between the feather andrib of the innersole, and inserting through each wiped portion while itis held in wiped position both a tack and astaple, said fastenings beingarranged in alinement with respect to the direction of strain of theupper.

22. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes which consists inwiping the upper into the angle between the feather and rib of. theinnersole, inserting through the same wiped portion while it is held inwiped position both temporary and permanent securing means, thenallowing the upper to set, removing the temporary securing means, andproceeding with the manufacture of the shoe in the usual manner.

23. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in wipingthe upper upon the innersole, and inserting through the same portion ofthe upper while it is 1 held in wiped position both a tack and a staple.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EVERETT W. VARNEY.

